‘India pole’ in international politics

26 Nov 2022 ‘India pole’ in international politics

Significance for Prelims: Not much

Significance for Mains: India as a pole in International politics. 

News: The ongoing war in Ukraine, and the confrontation between  Russia and the United States and the West increased the frequency/regularity of the question “Whose side is India on?”.

Reasons behind India’s reluctance in International politics:

• Indian sense of self in the international system is of the pole, not as a satellite state or a camp follower.
• India mostly refuses to take sides in geopolitical contestations. A recent example is India’s reluctance to toe the line in the case of Ukraine.   
• India sees itself as a side whose interests are not accounted for by other camps or poles.
• Reflections on ‘India as a pole’: India is currently chair of two geopolitically significant institutions i.e. G20 and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO). 

Origin of thought India is a pole international system: Modern India refuses to be led by another pole or easily aligned to one but sees itself as a unique pole in a multipolar world.

• Impact of Indian Independence struggle: Pre and post-Independence thoughts of leaders such as Jawaharlal Nehru, Gandhiji, and Bal Gangadhar Tilak on international politics. 
• India inherited the indisputable primacy of the British empire in South Asia.
• India’s sense of larger-than-life civilisational of itself.
• Experiment with Non-Aligned Movement (NAM).
• India wanted to have a voice in the comity of nations and desired a unique foreign policy identity.
• Independent  India’s foreign policy is a unique experiment; its pitfalls and foreign policy mistakes do not take away its unique sense of external agency from India. 

Elements of India’s idea of being a pole: India’s idea of being a pole without nationalistic overindulgence is deeply entrenched in its normative framework

• India claims natural primacy in South Asia due to its strategic periphery in the region. 
• India discourages interference by other powers in the regional space of South Asia. 
• Raises issues of  ‘underprivileged collectives’ or global south  i.e. South Asia or Non-Alignment Movement (NAM) nations, developing nations in varying degrees);
• It desired rule of law and regional order in International Politics. 
• The focus of India on the region: India wants to be seen as the provider of common goods than as a rule setter or/of demander of allegiance.

Indian view of itself as a pole:

• India did not pursue to dominate the South Asian regional subsystem even in case of opportunity. India occasionally and reluctantly intervened in South Asian Countries but often with disastrous consequences. 
• Subpar balancing behaviour: India refused to build alliances or sought camp followers or allegiances. Even its occasional balancing behaviour was contingent on emergencies. For Example, the India-Soviet Treaty of 1971 during the Bangladesh war. 

Worldview of India as a pole: New Delhi detests falling in line.

• India’s external behaviour or its positions on issues of global importance i.e. on Ukraine or Iraq, or the North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s aerial campaign in Serbia, or bringing climate change to the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) is determined by two factors, first securing national interests and another sense of being a unique player on the global stage.
• Way forward: Western Powers should mainstream India into significant global institutions such as the UNSC, and they should consult India and then dictate to India which side to take. The question to ask India is  “what is your side?” rather than “whose side are you on?”

Conclusion: India’s ability to help tackle security, climate and other global challenges made India pivotal power in the Indo-Pacific and beyond. Therefore, Western powers must treat India as a partner rather than as a cheerleader. India is further going to assert itself as a major role in the International system after it becomes the chair of the G20 and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation( SCO)  in 2022. Therefore, those wishing to work with India on the global stage should not demand India to follow one camp or another and must learn to deal with the ‘India pole’.

Further readings:

1. Concept of Polarity (Unipolar, Bipolar, Multipolar World)
2. Balance of Power

Prelims(2022):

“Rapid Financing Instrument” and “Rapid Credit Facility” are related to the

provisions of lending by which one of the following?

(a) Asian Development Bank

(b) International Monetary Fund

(c) United Nations Environment Programme Finance Initiative

(d) World Bank

Mains Question(2020):

Q1. What is the significance of Indo-US defence deals over Indo-Russian defence deals? Discuss with reference to stability in the Indo-Pacific region.

Source: The Hindu

Article: ‘India pole’ in international politics

Article Link: https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/lead/the-india-pole-in-international-politics/article66170757.ece 

sharad